Chicken-brooder



UNITED STATES PATENT O EIcE.

ERNEST F. HODGSON, OF DOVER, MASSACHUSETTS. v

CH lCKEN-BROODER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 564,689, dated. July 28, 1896.

Application filed February 11, 1896. Serial No. 578,935. (No model.)

To on whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST F. HODGSON, of Dover, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Chicken-Brooders, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,is a specification.

My invention relates to the construction and arrangement of the several parts that to gether form a device adapted to protect and keep chickens Warm; and it consists of a heating appliance, a warm-air-supply chamher, and a thoroughly-ventilated broodingspace, supplied at all times with a pure atmosphere of even temperature, and so arranged that the chickens cannot injure themselves by crowding together, and will be protected against drafts of air. I

My invention is illustrated in the accordpanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the interior of the outer case, the cover being represented as raised. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same.

In the drawings, A represents the outer casing, of which B is the cover. The lower apartment may, if desired, be partly or wholly beneath the surface of the ground, as shown in the drawings.

The heating device is represented in the illustration as placed in the lower part. In the drawings I have shown a lamp 0, but any other heating device will do. Immediately above the lamp a ceiling D, preferably of metal, is placed. Openings D D are made in the outer case, below the ceiling D, to admit of ventilating the fire-chamber, freeing it from smoke, the. Above the ceiling D and below the floor E of the brooding-apartment is the warm-air-supply chamber, which receives its heat from the ceiling-plate D, which is kept hot by the lamp or other heating device. Air-supply openings H H are made in the outer case for the purpose of furnishing air to the brooding-chamber, which passes through the opening K- in the floorE and the dome L, which has perforations in its top, as shown at k k. A ring N rests upon the projections Z Z, extending above the dome L, and is provided with upwardly-extending projecgons M M, upon which the large hover-disk rests.

From the above-described construction it will be understood that air from the openings H H can freely pass through the heatingchamber, thence through the dome L, the perforations k k, and the spaces between the ring N and the hover-disk P into the brooding-chamber under said disk P. The outer edge of the hover-disk P is provided with a curtain P, preferably divided by cuttings, as shown.

A register R is placed in the hover-disk P for convenience in ventilation and regulating the temperature. 7 A thermometer T is located, as shown, partly within the brooding-chamber and extending above, so that the temperature can be determined at a glance.

The dome or box L is made large and is so arranged that the chickens cannot get on its top, and its extent of warmed periphery will prevent the chickens from crowding together and thus injure themselves.

Openings S S are made in the outer casing for the outward passage of air. The outer casing may be provided with one or more windows.

I claim- Ina chicken-brooder, the combination of a heating device, a ceiling-plate above the heating device, arranged to form a warm-air-supply chamber between the said ceiling-plate andthe floor of the brooder; with a dome inserted in said floor and having a perforated top, and provided with projections, a ring resting upon the said projection and having supporting projections for holding a hoverdisk as described so that there is a free passage of warmair from the dome to the hoverchamber, and a curtain pending from said hover-disk whereby a hover-chamber is formed substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 6th day of February, A. D. 1896.

ERNEST F. HODGSON.

Witnesses: 7'

FRANK G. PARKER, WILLIAM H. PARRY. 

